


Day 7 - Just the Way You Are (Bruno Mars / Billy Joel)

by blaindersonkummel



Series: Klaine Valentines Challenge 2016 [7]
Category: Glee
Genre: (kind of - not really) - Freeform, Blangst, Insecurity, Jealousy, M/M, Past Relationship(s), Self Confidence Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-08
Updated: 2016-02-08
Packaged: 2018-05-19 00:31:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5949262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blaindersonkummel/pseuds/blaindersonkummel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Whilst unpacking, Blaine finds one of Kurt's photo albums. The only problem is, Blaine is quickly reminded that he hasn't always been Kurt's only boy crush.</p><p>Written for Day 7 of the Klaine Valentines Challenge.<br/>Prompt: "Just the Way You Are" by Bruno Mars or Billy Joel.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Day 7 - Just the Way You Are (Bruno Mars / Billy Joel)

**Author's Note:**

> Read on Tumblr [here](url).

It was a cold Sunday night in Kurt and Blaine’s new apartment. They had only been living here a couple of weeks, recently married and, yet again, looking to take New York by storm. However, before they could get rich and famous – they were back to a life of cheap, drafty apartments, miles away from their respective schools and with very limited space.

A couple of boxes were stacked on the floor next to Blaine, who was sat cross-legged on the wooden floor with a blanket around his shoulders. Whilst they had unpacked almost everything in their time here, just a few things remained – including the books and DVDs Blaine had been tasked with shelving onto the bookcase. Kurt was busy in the connecting kitchen, cooking a dinner which, from the smell alone, was making Blaine’s stomach rumble.

Tucking away the last DVD (a copy of The Sound of Music they must have watched a hundred times), Blaine went to open the next box to unpack. When he pulled back the sellotape and flipped the cardboard edges open, his eyes lit up. Inside was their joint collection of scrapbooks and photo albums. Blaine took the one from the top and instantly ignored his shelving duties to instead find himself engrossed in the memories.

When he opened the book, he realised this was one of Kurt’s albums – dating from his second year of high school. Blaine knew this for one reason: the glee club. Blaine’s heart warmed as he took in each of his friends he loved so dearly and his much younger husband who looked so happy to be there. The first page was made up of various competition pictures of Kurt and the New Directions, holding trophies or posing on stage.

It was the next page, however, which took Blaine aback. There was Kurt, sure, but also in the picture was Finn. And the two were standing, well, rather awkwardly. Finn looked somewhat reluctantly at the camera with a tight smile on his face as Kurt stood on tip toes, both arms around Finn’s neck, a dazzling smile and wide, almost psychotic eyes. Next to that was another picture of the same moment – only this time Kurt was looking up at Finn with what could only be described as a look of pure puppy love.

Blaine frowned. Something about this was making him feel uneasy. Of course, Blaine had heard all about Kurt’s fleeting crush on the guy who would go on to be his step-brother, and it had always been a bit of an ongoing tease between anyone who knew them. But now, Blaine was actually faced with that past. He shuddered and felt slightly uneasy. The worst thing was this: Blaine wasn’t uneasy because it was Finn, Kurt’s deceased step-brother, it was because Blaine had never seen Kurt so smitten about someone else.

Feeling terrible for thinking like that, Blaine was quick to turn the page. Only, his troubles were far from over. The pictures now seemed to be of Kurt’s junior year, starting with a few during his first few weeks back to school. Blaine smiled as he realised this was so soon before they met. No doubt he would be coming to the pictures of them next.

That thought was soon forgotten when he saw the next page – rehearsals for Rocky Horror. Of course, there were more group pictures, but one in particular caught his eye. Kurt, dressed as Riff Raff was stood next to Sam in his tiny, gold Rocky shorts. In the picture, Kurt’s hand was to his side, resting on Sam’s hip as both boys’ faces showed them laughing at some unknown joke.

Blaine’s stomach was starting to turn, looking at this. Yes, he did also know about Kurt’s (he assured him) very short-lived crush on Sam, but this picture, yet again, seemed to make everything suddenly so real.

In a sadistic move of self-hatred, Blaine made himself carry on. Here was where he started to see pictures of Dalton – and there he was. Seeing himself and Kurt in various stages of their friendship really made the chokehold on Blaine’s heart lessen to a dull ache.

Of course the two of them were perfect together. These pictures proved that. And neither Finn nor Sam could replace Blaine… right?

Suddenly, Blaine was hit with a wave of panic as he knew exactly which date to turn to next. Slowly but surely, as he moved through the book, there were more and more pictures of him and Kurt – only getting cuter and more coupley as he went. Then he reached the date he was looking for – Kurt in New York.

Not very many pictures were featured in the first few weeks of Kurt’s time in New York. Blaine wondered if that was a conscious decision, or if Kurt hadn’t found the time to be much of a tourist in a time when he apparently had no time for anyone at all.

 _“Stop it.”_ Blaine thought to himself, angrily. _“You can’t keep dwelling on those horrible few weeks in your past. You both made mistakes. You’ve both moved on.”_

He knew it was childish. It was just his emotions getting the better of him, but this was where he finally found what he was looking for. He knew it would be here. He just knew it.

Victory had never felt so hollow to Blaine as he looked down at the pictures before him. Placed in a random arrangement were various photos of Kurt at NYADA – more specifically, in a group of people which Blaine knew to be Adam’s Apples.

Of course, there, stood next to Kurt, was Adam himself, with his tousled blonde hair, long gangly limbs, and an arm around Kurt’s shoulders. Kurt was also within fairly close distance of Adam, but his face didn’t quite have the full-blown crush look Blaine had seen in the first picture with Finn.

As Blaine continued to look at the picture, he was suddenly surprised when a drop landed on the album and he realised he had been silently crying – tears pooling in his eyes.

“What are you doing?” came a voice from behind him.

Kurt didn’t sound accusatory or defensive – more just curious.

Blaine jumped a little and tried to straighten up and dry his eyes – only Kurt was there in an instant, crouching next to Blaine on the floor, still in his blanket cocoon.

“Honey, what’s wrong?” Kurt asked, not waiting for a reply before he was brushing Blaine’s tears away with his thumbs.

Blaine glanced back to the book in his lap and Kurt followed his line of sight.

“ _Oh._ ”

There really wasn’t much else Kurt could say. Blaine could be crying for any number of reasons, of course. He just had to hear him out.

“Kurt?” Blaine asked, looking back with red eyes and tear-tracks on his cheek, “Can I ask you a question?”

Kurt didn’t even hesitate as he nodded for Blaine to continue. “Sure, what is it?”

A pause. “Am I attractive to you?”

Kurt’s heart seemed to skip a beat at that. What? Where was this coming from?

“Are you attrac- Yes, Blaine. God, of course. How could you ever think I don’t find you attractive? Has this got something to do with the pictures?”

When Blaine didn’t reply, Kurt leant down and pulled the album out of his hands, closing it and putting it to one side. He then fully sat himself on the floor and put both arms around Blaine – gently pulling him into Kurt’s embrace with his face in Kurt’s neck.

He didn’t say anything for a while, waiting to hear Blaine’s worries before he jumped to any conclusion. Instead, he rubbed circles into Blaine’s back.

“Hmmm Fmmmm Uffff Uhm,” Blaine eventually said – words entirely muffled by Kurt’s skin.

“I’m sorry honey, I didn’t hear any of that,” Kurt replied, trying to sound sincere as Blaine pulled back and looked him in the eyes.

“I don’t look like them.”

That was all he said, and Kurt didn’t know how to respond.

“Like… like who, Blaine?”

Blaine instantly went sheepish and shy as he looked away and answered so quietly.

“ _The boys you’ve had a thing for._ ”

Kurt was taken aback as he put both hands on either side of Blaine’s arms. His face must have shown his concern, so Blaine continued.

“Well, you know… Finn… and Sam… and Adam. They all look a certain way. They look nothing like me.”

So that was it. Blaine’s jealousy was really rooted in his old fears about his own appearance.

“Oh, Blaine,” Kurt sighed, bringing him back in for another hug.

Blaine wasn’t comforted by this response so he continued whilst his train of thought was still clear.

“They’re all- all tall… and athletic… and with fair skin… and messy hair. Why would you ever pick me if that’s what you like?”

Kurt was honestly taken aback at this. He was sure Blaine’s steps towards self-love were really coming along since their last time together. Well, with how quickly they moved this time, Kurt supposed those doubts about their relationship were sure to kick in at some point, even if Blaine was just clutching at straws now.

Instead of answering, Kurt unwound his arms from Blaine’s body and instead used one hand to support himself, and the other to reach behind and open the cardboard box. From inside, he plucked the next photo album on top and pulled it out.

Blaine blinked a few times as he sat up and turned around to face Kurt – eyes clear, but face still somewhat damp and splotchy.

Kurt flipped page after page of the book until he reached the last section. Spreading the album out on his lap, he repositioned it so it was directed at Blaine.

“This, Blaine. This is why I pick you.”

Blaine now realised this was their most recent album and the pictures in front of him were from their wedding day. The picture Kurt was indicating to filled a whole page. In it, the pair were as close together as possible, arms around each other, eyes closed, smiles in place, as they were stood in the centre of everyone for their first dance.

Blaine instantly felt a little foolish, but both he and Kurt knew that reaction from Blaine wasn’t entirely out of nowhere. He had, of course, struggled with self-doubt so many times before.

“You are _not_ those other guys, Blaine,” Kurt said sternly and reassuringly. “You are so much more. You’re my husband and I love you just the way you are. You have to know that I would never change a thing about you.”

Blaine looked down, took in a deep breath and looked back at Kurt, feeling his emotions simmer down after working himself up so much.

“I’m sorry.”

Kurt put the other album down then and repositioned them once more so they were sat side by side, Blaine’s head resting on Kurt’s shoulder and his head on top of Blaine’s hair.

“You have nothing to apologise for, Blaine. You just have to remember that I actually happen to think you are the most attractive, sexy, gorgeous man I could ask for as my other half.”

“Nowhere near as attractive and sexy as you,” Blaine replied, but Kurt could tell there was a playfulness to it – not a way of putting himself down again.

The pair sat in silence for a little while then, content to just be next to one another when Kurt suddenly had a thought.

“Blaine?”

A pause – Kurt wondered if Blaine had maybe nodded off in that time with how quiet he’d been.

“Yeah?” Clearly not.

“Can you promise me something?”

“Sure. Anything.”

“Can we please promise to never mention my disastrous Finn crush again?”

They couldn’t help it, they both laughed a little hysterically as they continued to stay propped up against one another.

“That is a definite deal.”


End file.
